Police urge caution at railway crossings after deadly crash between train, car

Police are urging motorists to exert caution at railway crossings as they investigate a crash between a car and a passenger train which killed two women in southwestern Ontario.

The collision took place just before 11 a.m. on Monday at a clearly marked railway crossing east of Chatham, Ont., in what police described as normal weather conditions.

Such crashes, an Ontario Provincial Police spokesperson said, are not out of the ordinary.

“We see these crashes happen periodically and the bottom line is either (drivers) are complacent or they’re not paying attention,” said Sgt. David Rektor.

Monday’s crash saw a Via Rail train carrying 80 passengers plow into a grey Ford at a railway crossing that was marked with fully functioning lights, although it did not have crossing arms.